It’s Not Suppose to Go This Way

“And He said, “A man had two sons. “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. ” Luke 15:11-12 (NIV)

He was one wise man.

The Father.

I am sure, like me, you have read or heard this story Jesus told many times. The Prodigal Son. And often, rightly so, the focus is on the lost son. But today, as I read this familiar passage in Luke, my focus went to the father. The father and the vast wisdom he displayed the day his son came to him; getting ready to leave.

Jesus doesn’t say the father gave his son his great wisdom. “You not ready. This is the wrong decision. No, you can’t go.”

Instead, the father prepared to watch his son… learn the hard truth on his own.

Reading this passage makes my heart break. I come to tears just thinking of the pain the father experienced as he divided his property.

“This is all wrong. It wasn’t suppose to go this way. I’ve spent my whole life, investing in these boys. This isn’t the way it was supposed to turn out.”

I’ve had those thoughts’ painful thoughts. What mother doesn’t as we go through this journey of having children and then letting them go.

Maybe the father did have the type of emotional experience I am sure I would have had; turmoil torturing of my mind of all that could go wrong. All sure to go wrong.

Yet, in his wisdom, the father held back that swirling sadness.

Some of our children only seem to learn through experience.

And we, as their parents, need the wisdom of The Father to know which ones of our children are wired this way.

Then, like the father of the prodigal, with all the grace Our Father will give to us, we have to get out of the way.

Out of the way so they can get to the pig slop in order to find out even a hired hand, or as Paul describes himself, “a prisoner” (Philemon 1:1) is more blessed than the one outside the umbrella of God’s protection.

Lord, we are desperate for Your wisdom. Show us, Jesus, when to provide protection and when to get out of the way, so that our children surrender to You as soon as possible. Amen

Thank you so much fot the inspiration you give through your ministry. My coworker sent this to me at what seems like perfect timing. I have a 23 yr. old that has experienced many bumps since her teenage years began. I have done all I can do to help pull her out of the past and move forward into her future but at her age there is only so much I can do if she continues to make bad choices. It is painful to see her take herself through but my prayer is for the wisdom to know when to provide protection and the God’s grace to move out of the way and let Him work in her life and bring her closer to Him.